Photo By: Broderick Hanon
In their fourth game of the season, Loyola faced Valencia High School at home. Even though the Cubs faced Valencia on their home field, the bleachers were vacant because this was a non-league game.
The Cubs were the first ones to kick off. The Cubs were able to stop Valencia on their first number of downs, with a total gain of 5 yards on the drive. On Loyola’s first drive of the game, quarterback Nathan Priestly threw a quick 4 yard pass to Zakhari Spears. However, Valencia was able to stop both of Loyola’s run plays, resulting in a total loss of 2 yards and a change in possession. Loyola’s defensive line crushed Valencia’s running back as he tried to run in between the gap. The Cubs’ defensive line struggled to come into contact with the quarterback, which resulted in two complete passes for Valencia, a total of 10 yards. Valencia was able to move the ball to Loyola’s 30 yard line through a series of quick passes. However, Loyola’s defensive line made a 15 yard sack on third down, and gained possession of the football after Valencia punted the ball. With 7 minutes left in the 1st quarter, The Cubs trudged down the field, making it to Valencia’s 40 yard line, but they were unable to score.
Starting the second quarter was Valencia. Loyola’s defensive pressure held them to a 0 yard gain. Loyola quickly gave the football back to the Vikings because of Valencia’s pass rushing techniques. On Valencia’s fourth drive on the 50 yard line, Valencia's quarterback was left unaccounted for, and strided to Loyola’s 35 yard line. They then proceeded to complete a 20 yard pass, resulting in a first down with 15 yards to go for a touchdown. The Cubs were able to stop the Vikings from scoring a touchdown on their drive, but the ball flew through the field goal, and Valencia took the lead 3-0. The Cubs attempted to pass the ball multiple times on their 5th drive of the game, but the football was not able to touch the receiver’s hands. Loyola was forced to punt once again. On Loyola’s next drive, which ended in a punt, kicker Diego Burgo’s unsuccessfully punted the ball to the other team, and Valencia was able to regain possession on Loyola’s 40 yard line. The Vikings drove down the field, passing the ball for a total gain on 30 yards. With just under two minutes in the first half, Valencia’s quarterback threw a bullet pass to his wide receiver, resulting in a touchdown. The first half ended with Valencia leading by 10 points, the Cubs unable to score.
Valencia started with possession in the second half. They moved the ball up to Loyola’s 20 yard line with multiple 5 and 10 yard passes, all of which resulted in completion. The Cubs’ persistent defensive line held the Viking to a turnover on downs, and Loyola gained possession at the 24 yard line for the first time in the second half. The offense was not able to cross mid-field, and Valencia settled for a missed attempt at a field goal. On Loyola’s next drive, running back Hunter Ballard struggled to gain any yardage on their four downs. Loyola was forced to punt, but quickly regained possession. Junior Carter Link raced down the field and caused Valencia’s punt returner to fumble the football. Link quickly turned over and laid on the ball. Loyola’s bench erupted in applause, and the offense, once again, was able to obtain another opportunity to score. The Cubs struggled to gain momentum and to convert on third down in subsequent drives, and the third quarter ended with Loyola in possession, the score still 10-0 Valencia.
Beginning the fourth quarter, Valencia’s running back dodged many defenders, and ultimately ran through an opening in the field, resulting in a gain of 23 yards for Valencia. On second down, Valencia decided to pass the ball. The quarterback was in the shotgun position, and he threw to his tight end as Loyola defenders proceeded to tackle him. Valencia’s tight end held on to the ball in the end zone, and Valencia increased their 10 point lead to 17. Loyola’s quarterback Nathan Priestly delivered 4 successful passes on the following drive, one to Zakhari Spears, who then ran for 10 more yards. In the last minute of the quarter, Loyola’s safety intercepted Valencia’s throw on the 30 yard line. The safety ran to the end zone, dodging multiple defenders, and finally scoring for Loyola. Parents and the bench cheered proudly for the team. The Cubs’ still retained the large amount of hope that they had in the first quarter. However, with the touchdown only happening a minute before the end of the 4th quarter, the Vikings were able to keep their lead for the remaining seconds. The game ended with Valencia taking the victory. The final score was 17-7.
Before the game, Coach Ric Pedroarias ‘84, said, “The biggest accomplishment that we can hope for tonight is improved consistency on the offensive side of the ball. We need solid tackling from our defense and special teams, but the biggest improvement that we are hoping for is the changes that we have made on offense throughout this past week.”
After the game, junior Thomas Hatton said, “Sometimes our defensive line was able to hold them to a punt, but sometimes they were able to convert offensively. I think the biggest thing that we need to work on is consistency -- making sure that we are continually playing well throughout the entire game.”